This invention relates to closure cap application subsequent to forming, filling and sealing a package. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for applying a cap to a closure after processing of a package on which the closure is affixed.
Gable top cartons have become widely used and accepted. One form of the gable top carton includes a carton having a plastic or like spout affixed to the carton for dispensing product. For example, one widely recognized use is for packaged juices. In such an arrangement, a plastic spout is affixed to the carton. A cap is threaded on to the spout for resealing the carton after initial use.
In one typical arrangement, the spout includes a membrane that extends across the inner portion thereof. The membrane provides a seal both for hygienic purposes, as well as tamper evidence. In a typical form, fill and seal operation, carton blanks are fed along a conveyance path on which the cartons are erected (i.e., formed and sealed), sterilized, filled and sealed. After erection, and prior to filling, a closure is affixed to the carton at one of the slanted gable panels.
In known form, fill and seal operations, the spout or closure and its cap are affixed to the carton as a unitary assembly. That is, the spout having the cap threaded thereon is inserted into an interior portion of the carton and is moved into contact so that a flange of the closure rests against an inner surface of the carton. To do this, the spout and cap are inserted through an opening in the gable panel wall of the carton. An ultrasonic welding horn is brought into contact with the carton to weld the closure flange to the carton interior. Subsequently, the carton is sterilized, filled and top sealed. An exemplary arrangement for mounting or affixing the fitments is disclosed in Sweeney, U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,275, which patent is incorporated herein by reference.
It has been found that in certain instances, it is desirable to use non-standard closure caps on the containers. For example, it may be that certain caps are easier for an individual having limited mobility of their fingers to remove from the package. It may also be that certain packagers or bottlers wish to have other than a xe2x80x9cstandardxe2x80x9d threaded cap on a particular package. These include over-sized or not fully round caps. Other functional, as well as aesthetic reasons may be present for xe2x80x9ccustomxe2x80x9d capping.
Known spout or fitment applicators simply cannot accommodate custom capping. A variety of arrangements are known for supporting and moving fitments (generally referring to the spout and cap xe2x80x9cpackagexe2x80x9d) into engagement with the container. However, these known arrangements require that the spout or fitment, have the cap attached thereto, prior to insertion through the opening in the side wall or gable panel of the carton. These arrangements may not, because of their limitations, provide this xe2x80x9ccustomxe2x80x9d capping ability. More specifically, many such xe2x80x9ccustomxe2x80x9d caps will not fit through standard pre-punched carton panel openings.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an arrangement by which custom caps can be applied to containers. Such custom caps may be oversized and thus, cannot be inserted through an opening in the gable panel of the carton. Desirably, such a custom capping arrangement permits the use of these oversized closures as well as non-symmetrical or creatively designed cap configurations. Most desirably, the custom caps can be applied to cartons processed or packaged on conventional form, fill and seal packaging machines using conventional or standard pre-punched carton blanks.
A post processing cap applicator applies a cap to a closure spout after erection, spout attachment, filling and sealing of a carton. The applicator permits the use of custom caps on standard and non-standard cartons having standard and non-standard, attached spouts.
The applicator includes a cap supply, means for maintaining engagement of the cap with the spout, means for rotating the cap to a predetermined torque, means for determining when the predetermined torque is achieved and means for halting rotation of the cap upon sensing the predetermined torque.
The applicator can include chute means for conveying caps to the cartons. The means for maintaining engagement of the cap with the spout can be biased and the means for rotating the cap can be reversible.
In one embodiment, the applicator includes a conveyor for moving the cartons through the applicator. The conveyor moves in a first forward direction. The cap supply is configured to dispense caps and to position an edge of a cap in a path defined by movement of the closure spout through the applicator. The closure spout engages the edge of the cap.
The torque-applying element is a rotating member such as a rotating belt. In one embodiment, the belt is a reversible member. A drive is operably connected to the torque-applying element and is operable in a first direction to tighten the cap onto the spout to a predetermined torque. Once the predetermined torque is reached, the element stops tightening the cap.
The drive can be configured to reverse direction of the torque-applying element upon sensing that the predetermined torque has been reached. In one embodiment, the conveyor is configured to move the cartons through the applicator at a predetermined rate. Upon reversing direction of the torque-applying element, the drive operates to match a rotational speed of the torque-applying element to a predetermined rate of the cartons moving through the conveyor. A preferred drive is a servomotor.
In an alternate embodiment, the belt rotates in one direction. During a cap tightening phase, the belt moves at a first speed that is less than the speed of the conveyor. Upon reaching a predetermined torque, the belt speed increases to match the line speed (i.e., corresponding to the rate at which the cartons move through the conveyor).
The cap supply can include a chute for delivering caps to respective cartons. The chute is disposed to position the cap edge in the closure spout path. A retention assembly is disposed at about an end of the chute to retain the cap at the end of the chute for engagement by the spout. The retention assembly can include a biased retention element.
The applicator can include a pressure plate cooperating with the torque-applying element to urge the cap onto the spout. Preferably, the torque-applying element is a reversibly rotating belt.
The applicator can further include a lateral movement inhibiting member disposed on a side of the cap opposite the torque-applying element. The inhibiting member can be formed as a surface positioned on an opposite side of the cap that is contacted by the torque-applying element. The surface can be smooth. Alternately, the surface can be frictional or can be formed to accommodate odd-shaped caps. The lateral movement inhibiting surface can be formed coextensive with the pressure plate.
The conveyor can include first and second rotating conveying belts for engaging first and second sides of the carton, respectively. Preferably, the torque-applying element is a reversibly rotating capping belt disposed on the first side of the carton above the first conveying belt.
The capping belt is configured to rotate in a direction opposite of the first conveying belt when tightening the cap onto the spout and configured to reverse direction upon reaching the predetermined torque. When in the reverse direction, the capping belt speed is matched to the conveyor speed so as to not loosen the cap.
A method for applying a cap to a carton in a post-processing closure cap applicator in which the carton is erected, has a spout attached thereto, is filled and sealed, includes the steps of conveying the carton through the cap applicator at a predetermined speed, engaging a cap with the spout, rotating the cap to a predetermined torque, sensing when the predetermined torque is reached and ceasing rotation of the cap.
The step of rotating the cap can include the step of contacting the cap with a torque-applying element and can include the step of rotating the torque-applying element to apply a torque to the cap
The method can also include the step ceasing torque-applying rotation of the torque-applying element upon reaching the predetermined torque and reversing the torque-applying element upon reaching the predetermined torque.
A preferred method includes the step of conveying the cap to the spout and maintaining a pressure on the cap as it is engaged with the spout.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims.